


Her Time Now

by DulcieFlorbelle



Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 3
Genre: Angst, Family Feels, Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-13
Updated: 2015-08-13
Packaged: 2018-04-14 13:35:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4566525
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DulcieFlorbelle/pseuds/DulcieFlorbelle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>James is used to taking care of his daughter. As they age, it is she who takes care of him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Her Time Now

Lilith was always sick it seemed. 

As a baby, her cheeks held a constant fire, evidence of the fever burning inside. She was a fighter. Strong. He felt terrible each time he administered shots to her, as the needle felt far too large, and she far too tiny. 

James thought he might lose her. Not once, but many times. He would sit by her crib, hanging onto a state of awakeness, little fingers wrapped around just one of his. It was then he would anticipate each breath, each rise and fall of her chest. 

The one allergic reaction she had to medicine near destroyed him, seeing the rash bloom on pudgy baby thighs. Hearing her cry at night when he would put steroid cream on her. He felt awful. The lowest of the low. He had done this to her. 

He would not lose her. He couldn't. It seemed her health was some sort of punishment on him, for not finishing what he has set out to. If it truly was, he couldn't think of a worse punishment. 

She survived infancy by their combined willpower and grew into an adventurous little girl, always getting into things she shouldn't with the overseer's girl. This was especially hard for James to stomach. If he had it his way, she would be treated as delicately as a doll. But this was never the reality they lived in. Not even amidst the confines of the vault. 

It was rare for her to fall sick now. But the few times she did, every cough, every fever, they all wore at James at a deep level. It was amusing, how often it would be her comforting him. She always saw his stress, how it ate away at him. 

The time had slipped away so quickly from him. His little Lilith was now a young woman. A very independent one at that, with somewhat of a reputation for being a bad girl. James wasn't worried by this, as he knew she was the same sweet girl he had raised, no matter what type of front she put up. Though he still didn't like her going out with that red lipstick on, the one that matched the bandana she often wore either around her neck or in her hair. She made her own choices now. 

James himself had gotten something like a cold recently. As was the norm, he tried to hide it from her. And as was the norm, this never worked. 

He woke up one morning, noting the time was an hour past his usual alarm. He cursed under his breath and moved to sit up, causing a rush of pain directly to his stuffy head. It was no question in his mind, whose doing the alarm clock was. 

As if on cue, the lithe figure of his daughter traipsed into the room, a tray in her hands. She was always so full of energy now, the blush in her cheeks one of life and not fever. 

"Ah, good! Thought I was gonna have to wake you." Lilith set the tray down on the edge of the bed. "I made you some soup. Well, I heated it, not so much made it."

He sighed heavily, "Lilith, thank you but-"

"Brought you some water, so drink up. And some coffee too, if you _insist_ on going to work today. I did already talk to Jonas though, he said he'd cover for you." She interrupted him, gesturing to the rest of the tray as she spoke. 

"You shouldn't have." James replied, shaking his head, though he couldn't help the smile that pulled at his lips. "Thank you, sweetheart." 

"You work too hard and sleep too little. Just get some rest today, okay?" Lilith gripped his hand, squeezing it. "Besides, it's not like the two of us are going anywhere soon, Dad. We gotta take care of each other." 

A sharp pain turned to a sinking feeling in his stomach at her words. He forced a small nod, returning the squeeze. 

"I gotta get to class now." She pressed a quick kiss to his clammy forehead before rising and moving to leave. "You better be in bed still when I get back." 

"Isn't your G.O.A.T. today, dear?" James asked after taking a sip of the water. 

"Uh huh." She hovered in the doorway, cracking her knuckles as she always did when nervous. 

"You'll do great, I'm sure." 

"I know I will." Lilith replied, forcing a smile that anyone else might've believed was confident. She sauntered out of sight then, shouting a quick 'love you' before totally leaving. 

James smiled warmly at the doorway she had been in just a moment ago, beginning to sip at the soup. He was lucky he had her. Lucky he had raised such a capable and wonderful young lady. But another thing was also clear in his mind, as difficult and painful as it might be. 

She would be fine without him now.


End file.
